7 Former Divas Who Found Success After WWE

7 Former Divas Who Found Success After WWE

Believe it or not, there is life after WWE, as these former Divas have proven.

Many women fade into obscurity after they part ways with America's No. 1 wrestling promotion (Joy Giovanni, anyone?).

However, a few also go on to find success, either in the wrestling business or some other area in the entertainment industry.

With this in mind, let's have a look at the most notable examples...

7. Maryse Ouellet

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Following her release from WWE in October 2011, former Divas champion Maryse Ouellet returned to her first love: fashion.

Blessed with an eye for style (who do you think is the one dressing The Miz in all those great suits?), she opened up a jewelry business, House of Maryse, in August 2012, as Diva Dirt notes. She later branched out into swimwear and the business, by all accounts, appears to be still going strong.

She's not entirely done with wrestling, though: the 30-year-old also still makes the occasional appearance for indie group FWE, serving as a commentator.

6. Maxine

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Karlee Perez, AKA Maxine, may be the most talented Diva wrestling fans have never heard of. As a featured performer on NXT: Redemption, Perez showed she could play the catty, obnoxious heel to perfection. And who can forget her fantastic partnership with Johnny Curtis (now Fandango)?

Alas, WWE never promoted the model-turned-wrestler on to a main spot on the roster and, as she noted to Diva-Dirt last year, her frustration with her stagnant career led to her asking, and receiving, her release.

Perez has kept very busy since then. Back in January, it was announced she had become the official spokesperson for WIFL (Women's Indoor Football League). She's also picked up some significant acting gigs, too. As she mentioned to The Rack (via F4Wonline), she snagged the lead in a B movie horror And Then The Night Comes. She's also noted on Twitter recently that she'd won a role in upcoming series The Cell.

5. Taryn Terrell

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Now, who could possibly have predicted that ditzy ECW Taryn "Tiffany" Terrell would emerge as one of the best women wrestlers in America today?

It's a stretch, isn't it? But, thanks to her superb work in Impact Wrestling, Terrell has done it.

Terrell, who was released from WWE in 2010, made her debut for Impact Wrestling in 2012 and proceeded to improve drastically as a performer to the point she and foe Gail Kim were regularly stealing the show on television and pay-per-view. Their bout at Slammiversary in June, in particular, was one of the best women's matches in North America ever.

WWE really missed the boat on this woman.

4. Maria Kanellis

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Following her departure from WWE in 2010, Playboy cover girl Maria Kanellis threw herself into various projects.

Returning to her wrestling career, she valeted for real-life boyfriend Mike Bennett in ROH, becoming known as the "First Lady of ROH." She's also landed acting roles in upcoming movies Army of the Damned and A Bet's A Bet.

Oh, and the 31-year-old continues to make headlines with her publiccriticisms of the Bella siblings. Whether she's in WWE or not, it seems fans are always going to be talking about this girl, for one reason or another.

3. Katie Lea

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Similar to Maxine, Katie Lea was woefully under-used for the vast majority of her WWE run.

Indeed, it wasn't until she was released in 2010 and joined Impact Wrestling that she was allowed to show off what she could truly do as a performer.

As the sensual but psychopathic Winter, Lea managed to create one of the most memorable, and wackiest, female characters in wrestling history.

The writers also hinted Winter was a vampire who could travel through time and turn invisible at will and make deadly potions—so, generally not your typical wrestling gimmick. For managing to pull that off, she surely deserves a spot on the list.

2. Trish Stratus

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Following her retirement from WWE, and wrestling, in 2006, Trish Stratus made a big name for herself in the world of yoga. She opened her own studio in her hometown of Ontario, released a fitness DVD and continued to appear on various magazine covers promoting the cause.

She did other things, too: the Canadian found the time to host a travel show and serve as a coach in the 2011 season of WWE's Tough Enough. More recently, she was inducted into this year's Hall of Fame, becoming the youngest inductee ever at just 37.

1. Stacy Keibler

Thanks to her high-profile relationship with Hollywood mega-star George Clooney, Keibler is now a significant name in her own right.

She's appeared on the coversof too many magazines to count, hosts Lifetime show Supermarket Superstars and has notched up an impressive acting resume, with appearances on hit shows such as Psych and How I Met Your Mother. Not too many Divas end up becoming household names, but she's come the closest of anyone.